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BSE Sensex ends in red for third consecutive week

Even tough the Sensex logged one of the best single day gain in 2012 on the last trading day of the week, the benchmark Sensex still ended lower by 134 points to close the week at 17,503.24 on constant selling due to setback to the ruling Congress party in the assembly elections, extending losses for the third straight week.

Facing an economic slowdown due to dwindling exports, China, the world's second largest economy, has for the first time in seven years scaled down its GDP growth target to 7.5 per cent from 8 per cent to focus more on structural problems and unbalanced development.

According to dealers, the election outcome would push the Congress-led UPA government to go on the backfoot and may not be able to carry on with reform process due to resistance from opposition parties at the center.

The BSE benchmark Sensex resumed lower at 17,598.42 and hovered in a range of 17,691.96 and 17,008.77 before settling the week at 17,503.24, showing a net loss of 133.75 points or 0.76 per cent.

It dropped by 786.11 points or 4.30 per cent in the last three weeks inspite of hectic short-coverings by operators on Friday after good response by private-sector debt holders agree to participate the Greek's bond swap offer.

The news paved the way for Greece for the second bailout and for investors to go back for risk appetite like stocks as signs that the country was moving closer to avert a default.

The NSE 50-share Nifty also declined by 25.85 points or 0.48 per cent to end at 5,333.55.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) were the net buyers to the tune of Rs 1,013.55 crores including the provisional figure of March 9 as against the last weekend's level of Rs 1,842.40 crore.

All eyes are now set on the forthcoming Railway Budget on March 14, RBI's mid-quarter review of the monetary policy on March 15 and Union Budget on March 16.

Metal stocks suffered the most after slightly cooling off the Chinese economy as China is world's major importer of copper and aluminium and as a result the sectoral BSE-Metal was the top loser from the sectoral indices with a fall of 3.92 per cent.

Among sectoral indices, the BSE-Oil&Gas tumbled by 3.17 per cent followed by the BSE-Power 2.48 per cent and the BSE-Capital Goods 1.09 per cent while the BSE-Consumer Durable firmed up by 1.77 per cent, the BSE-Auto 1.62 per cent and the BSE-FMCG 0.90 per cent.

The total turnover at the BSE and NSE fell to Rs 11,633.53 crore and 51,549.71 crore, respectively as against the last weekend's level of Rs 15,392.19 crore and Rs 70,694.81 crore.